FIGHTING TIGER MEN’S SOCCER STUNS BROOME CC IN OT 3-2 AWAITS REGION III TOURNAMENT SEEDING

The SUNY Cobleskill men’s soccer team will be heading to the NJCAA Region III Tournament for the first time since the 2000 season after stunning heavily favored Broome Community College in Binghamton, NY yesterday by a 3-2 margin in overtime. The victory gives the Fighting Tigers a 9-5-1 record on the season, their first winning campaign since 2000, completing a four-day period which saw Cobleskill win three games including back-to-back road games on Monday versus Adirondack Community College in Glens Falls, NY, 5-0, before their meeting and victory over Broome.

After a slow start the Fighting Tigers battled the Hornets to a 2-2 draw at the end of regulation before senior midfielder Carlos Perez, Flushing, NY, Robert F. Kennedy High School, took matters into his own feet and blasted a shot off the Broome goalkeeper’s shoulder into the back of the Hornet net with 2:18 remaining to play in the overtime period. The win came in the fifth overtime contest that Cobleskill has played this season and gives the team a 3-1-1 record in overtime games this season.

“We came out very flat in the first half and I am extremely proud of our guys for the way we picked up our level of play after the first 25 minutes,” said Fighting Tiger Head Coach Rob Szmarz. “When we came into pre-season making the regional play-offs was one of our goals and now that we’ve accomplished that we are looking forward to Saturday and our opening round game. We’ve taken a very important step in terms of our program’s development this season and we’re now extremely excited about the future and what has in store for us.”
 
Freshman striker Hugh Campbell, Bronx, NY, Evander Childs High School, provided the firepower in regulation with a pair of goals for Cobleskill. Freshman midfielder Gilbert Francillon, Brooklyn, NY, Midwood High School, had two assists in the contest while Carlos Perez also had an assist to go with his game winning goal.

In the nets, senior goalkeeper Scott Bergen, Schenectady, NY, Mohonasen High School, recorded the win stopping 11 shots on the afternoon and surviving multiple defensive breakdowns early in the contest to keep the Fighting Tigers in the game.

Cobleskill will await the Region III Selection Committee’s announcement on Thursday October 20th to find out their seed, opponent and the location of their opening round play-off match-up which will take place on Saturday October 22nd.